"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." Maya Angelou
I opened my daily horoscope the other day and read exactly what I needed to hear. It was a gem on perseverance. Actors, we can all agree that perseverance is one of the many qualities we need in our back pocket while pursuing our careers. Whether or not you believe in astrology or are a Libra (shout out to my fellow Libras), the words themselves transcends any of this: "For a mountain climber, a steep climb under treacherous conditions can be challenging, fatiguing, and frightening in the moment. But once that climber reaches the top, there is a great sense of exhilaration and accomplishment, as well as a spectacular view of the landscape below. You may similarly be ascending a steep climb in some area of your life now. But you are persevering and you will have the strength and the will to continue to do so. Don't let anything stop you. Once you reach the top, you will find it was all worth the effort." ~Daily horoscope.
This horoscope reminded me of my the hike I took on my 30th birthday. I started the day taking a hike on a new path I discovered. I remember reading the reviews before heading to the location. Silly me, I just read the first two which said that this hike was "easy". Of course, I was like, "great", just what I need, an easy hike on my 30th to start the day. Well, let me tell you that this hike was far from "easy". It was hard. I had to stop a handful of times to catch my breath on this 3.4 round trip mile hike. There were many moments where I thought about turning around, going back down hill and returning to the path another day (which might not have happened :-)). But, thankfully I continued. It wasn't until I reached what would be my last steps to the top (I didn't know it at the time) that I was literally at my last breath. I continued. I turned the rocky mountain corner to what was the end. Isn't it funny that when we're almost at the end of an obstacle we want to give up? Well, when I reached the end I was confronted with this beautiful, calm and rejuvenating waterfall. And when I turned around the most breathtaking (see photo) view of the city and the trail I just completed. I felt accomplished.
Thinking about my horoscope and reminiscing on this hike reminds me of the actors journey. The perseverance that we must carry with us throughout our pursuit. The constant rejection we face: audition after audition. Call back after call back. Check avail and being released over and over again. Sitting at EPA's for hours and not getting seen. This constant rejection is hard to swallow. But, we must persevere. And it's important to note that perseverance has not speed limit. Just like when I was climbing that mountain and needed to slow down or stop to catch my breath in order to continue on, we must do that in our pursuit too. Or even in moments when I stopped to turn around to see how far I've climbed made me feel like a warrior. Actors, we need to do that in our journey's too. Stop, write down or think about your accomplishments and know that even though you're not where you want to be just yet, you've done so much already. Celebrate the mini milestones. It'll really give you some peace and give you a kick in the behind to keep climbing. Because in those moments when we want to give up we may just be right around the corner from the top.
That's my note for you all!
Stay Blessed!